


Knight in Shining Armour

by Rumo (Rumo_writes)



Series: Moonshadow Racing [1]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Moonshadow racing, Mutual Pining, Race, Social Anxiety, Sword Fighting, Tinkaan, engineer Runaan, mechanic Tinker, motorcycle race Au, purely self indulgent fan service, racer Runaan, renessaince fair, runaan doesn't, smith Tinker, tinker has his life together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-13
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2020-01-12 22:23:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18455816
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rumo_writes/pseuds/Rumo
Summary: The Fair was just like he remembered. Filled with people dressed in various styles of different eras and lined with stands selling crafts and food. When he finally spotted a familiar figure repeatedly swinging a hammer down onto the anvil in front of him, his mouth went completely dry. The other was clad in nothing but dirty red linen pants and a leather apron, skin already glistering with sweat and streaks of ash from the fire. This was so much better than he'd imagined.Runaan is a renowned motorcycle racer and engineer and Tinker works as his mechanic. However both harbor feelings for the other but are keen to keep that a secret.One day Runaan visits Tinker on a medieval fair where he works as a smith and things begin to set in motion. Lujanne is amused.





	Knight in Shining Armour

**Author's Note:**

> For those of you who've already read it on tumblr, there are a few new paragraphs and I corrected the majority of the spelling errors (I hope). -> If you find something please tell me!   
> There is some mild sexual content towards the end so if you are uncomfortable reading that just stop after the gathering in the main square (you'll know what I mean)

Sol looked up from a couple blueprints of the Moonshadow he'd been going over in silence for the past hour and stepped closer to the hydraulic bench where his boss was currently laying under said motorcycle. There had been some irregularities in the past test run and neither knew where they came from. “Hey, I think I found it.” He exclaimed, pointing at the folder in his hand.

The sudden sound apparently startled the other because Runaan jerked away, kicking a stack of crates in the process that immediately started to tip over. “Shit” barley a whisper left his lips as he frantically tried to free his hands from the engine block. Sol instinctively reached for the two falling crates, dropping the folder. He cringed a little under the weight of the spare parts but held them securely in his grasp.

When he glanced down, he was faced with a very startled engineer, eyes as big as saucers and hands still stuck between the parts he'd been working on.

“T-thank you.” From his position on the floor, he had a great view on Sol's admittedly impressive biceps and suddenly felt his mouth going very dry. Runaan then busied himself with freeing his hands to hide the slight blush on his face while the mechanic placed both crates on the ground beside them, offering a hand to pull him up. “Impressive catch. Those are heavy, I would know, I put them there.” A chuckle escaped his lips and he added “Thanks for the safe. Broken Ribs so close to the season would have been pretty inconvenient.” Sol rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, tousling the messy dark hair in the process.  “No problem, I sometimes work as a blacksmith on Ren fairs, there is a lot of heavy lifting involved.”

That sparked his interest, Renaissance Fairs and Medieval Markets were among his favourite things to visit. Primarily because the people going there would never recognize him. “Really? I used to do European sword fighting and archery in college.” Sol beamed, apparently pleased that they had something more to talk about than just their mutual interest in work. “Yeah, they paid pretty well for a broke college student and I enjoy the work on the forge. Besides the people are really nice.” Runaan nodded, recalling memories of past camps with the people in his Re-enactment group. “Will you do it again this year?” maybe he should dig out his old Tabard and sword to go and visit the other on a fair. It would clearly be a delight to get to know a little about the work of a smith. The image of Sol working on a forge flitted through his mind, but he quickly shook it off. Not the time to have those thoughts.

The other had meanwhile picked up the folder and searched for the page he'd been on. “I suppose I will do one or two this year should I have the time. I don't need the money anymore, but I think I'd miss it.” Runaan hummed looking at the space his mechanic pointed at. “You think we moved that too far up the last time?” Sol nodded “Yeah it's one of the few things we did change, and the rest was pretty minor.” He shrugged looking over at his bike that was still propped up on the stand “Well it's worth a shot.”

That evening, the racer pulled out his phone and searched through the contacts. After a few rings, a deep voice answered. “I didn't think to hear from you again since you got that racing thing going on now.” Runaan had to smirk, his instructor hadn't changed one bit in the last three years. “Are you still giving private lessons?”

* * *

 

The first training session turned out to be very humiliating on his part. He hadn't expected to be as good as three years ago of course, but the change in exercise since then wasn't exactly contributing to his swordsmanship. Sure, it kept him on the weight and general fitness level required by his sponsors, but he missed the familiar rush of adrenaline of a sport he actually enjoyed. Safe for Racing of course.

Despite being kicked around his private gym for three hours, he hadn't enjoyed anything as much as the training with Max in the last few weeks. His fitness tracker also informed him of an exceptional high caloric consumption, and they agreed to meet again the next day and the weeks after that. The impromptu Archery session he'd started afterwards went a lot better. Apparently, it proved to be a skill you didn’t loose. Like riding a bike, the muscle memory was strong. Even though he hit less bull’s-eyes than he used to, it only took a few rounds to get back into it. Lujanne watched him re-organise his home gym with barley concealed amusement as soon as the targets he'd ordered arrived. “I thought you were supposed to stick to your training schedule?” of course he was but he'd checked the stats of the last few days and his chosen training was much more effective. “I'm sure you've looked at the data from my tracker. It works so let me at least choose how I slave away for the sponsors. You know that my motivation to exercise would be way higher if I actually enjoyed it.”  She rolled her eyes but didn't object, knowing that it would be useless anyways. Her boss could be very adamant once he'd set his mind on something.

Since his overall mood improved considerably during the weeks after changing the training schedule the personal assistant figured it was for the best.

 

* * *

 

When Sol entered the garage that day, he found his employer in a broody mood, nibbling on a carrot while he tapped away on one of the tablets to review all changes they'd made the day before. The Ashtray which was normally placed outside in the front yard was now filled with cigarette stubs and perched on the table next to him. His boss had the habit of stress-smoking when he was unnerved, and Sol didn’t like that particular trait at all. It was not that he minded the smell but something inside of him wanted to ensure the other’s wellbeing. However, he knew that the racer would forget about it as soon as they started working. It was more of a coping mechanism for left-over energy, really.

“Hey what's got you in such a sour mood?” usually Runaan was always at least a little bit excited when they worked together. The look he got in return was more than pained. As if the carrot was the object of his misery, he looked at it in disdain and then back to Sol. “They put me on a diet.” Even the tone in his voice was miserable. He couldn't within but wince in sympathy. In the past, he'd come to know the other's love for food especially since the racer had to follow a certain meal plan already.

“I'm sorry. Might I ask why? You look normal enough to me.” Again, the pained look. “Thanks? I only gained about two and half pounds but they want me to loose it before the next race so only vegetables for me.“ As if to prove his point, he took a bite off the carrot and rolled his eyes. “You know what’s the worst thing? I'd have understood if they wanted me to drop fat, but the two I gained are muscle. Do you know how hard it is to loose them again?” he would've laughed at the tragedy in front of him if it wasn't so sad. He could basically feel the grief of every missed meal in the future hanging in the air in front of him. “I mean I worked hard for those two pounds. Why am I not allowed to keep them?” now he really had to chuckle. “Come on it's not that bad. You'll have them gone in no time. Let's start working so you can think of something else.” Runaan groaned but obeyed as soon as he pulled over a chair and opened the other stats from the day before. Work was something that always managed to capture the engineer's interest.

When he returned the next day, his boss had a salad bowl full of cut cucumber pieces next to him. “What the hell is that?” these must’ve been more than six to fill that thing. “Cucumbers?” he rolled his eyes at the reply. “I can see that. But how many did you slaughter for this?”

“Hey, cut me some slack, they are mostly water, so I can eat them. And I intend to do that if I’m not supposed to turn into the hangriest person you'll ever witness. And it were eight.” Were? So, he'd already consumed about two? “Don't they get boring after number four?” Sol couldn't help but tease him a bit. It was way too entertaining not to. “I haven't had anything besides raw vegetables for two days so, yes. But if I don't eat anything, I will crawl those walls in no time.” During the following week, it turned out that hungry Runaan was, as he’d promised, absolutely no fun to be around. He was extra grateful for the times Lujanne came around and occupied both of them with other things. She apparently knew how to handle the situation and brought some food that was low in calories but still relatively substantial.

It took about one and a half weeks until the nutritionist came around for a visit. It was the first time Sol had seen the man and he was immediately annoyed by this person. The guy was dressed like a suburban dad and looked the way. However, he cleared the racer and left him a new meal plan including a box of premade meals for the week before vanishing again. The look on his employer’s face as he pulled the first one out of the microwave was priceless. Lujanne even snickered at the sheer worship with which he handled the fried rice with brussels sprouts and grilled chicken. “Don't laugh Janne! You have no idea how it feels like to survive on nothing but plant turned water for twelve days.” She just rolled her eyes and playfully hit the back of his head. “Remember you got that race in a few days so stick to the plan.” He nodded absently, inhaling the scent of his first real meal in days with watery eyes. “Are you about to cry over food?” Sol was still perched on one of the barstools and now munched on an apple with a shit eating grin on his face. “Maybe?” he took the plate and flopped down on a stool next to the mechanic with a deep sigh. “I will absolutely raid a steakhouse as soon as the last two races are over.” The short haired man had to laugh at the way his eyes rolled back in his skull once he took the first bite. “Happy?” a muffled groan seemed to answer his question. “Oh god yes, you have no idea. I was short of killing someone for real food.” Sol shook his head “Yeah, I noticed.” The next time this happened he was so going to take a vacation. Next to him he could see Runaan wince “Sorry about that. I know I'm not good company when I'm hungry.” Now he had to grin “That's the understatement of the century but don't worry I don't take it personally.” His boss started to laugh. “I'm glad.” To his astonishment, the whole food had already disappeared. With newfound energy, the racer hopped down from the barstool “Come on, let's get to work!” He rolled his eyes at the enthusiasm but followed down into the garage, nonetheless.

 

* * *

 

Sol turned the glinting piece of metal he'd been working on in the fire, waiting for it to reach the right temperature. Once it was glowing a soft yellow, he placed it on the anvil and began shaping it. Despite the relatively early hour there were already some people standing around his tent, watching him work. He smiled at the kids who looked at the forge with awe and walked over to them once he'd returned the metal to the embers to answer their questions. He'd missed the Fairs and was happy to be able to participate in one, now that the racing season was officially over.

* * *

 

Lujanne grinned wolfishly as soon as her boss came down from his bedroom, dressed for the Renaissance Fair she knew the mechanic was currently working at. She’d just dropped by to deliver some reports from the science department and was immediately happy that she was able to witness this. Runaan was dressed in wide dark blue linen pants that were tucked into knee-high leather boots and a slightly dirty sleeveless white linen shirt under a dark blue leather vest. Both articles were only done halfway, giving her a good view on the crescent tattoo on his chest. The personal assistant watched as he fastened the sword belt around his hips and reached for the quiver laying on the kitchen counter, slinging it over his shoulder in one swift movement. “Fancy” she smirked “I like the braids; you should wear them more often.” He had his long white hair braided away on the sides of his head, creating the illusion of an undercut. The top part was slightly teased upwards in a mohawk fashion. Silver beads and rings were worked into the braids and little clasps held them together. The engineer let a hand wander up to feel the entwined strands he'd created in the same manner he used to wear in his Re-enactment group. “Thank you. Is there anything that needs my immediate attention? Otherwise I got a cab waiting outside.” She shook her head and followed him to the door instead. “No. Have fun with your handsome mechanic.”

Immediately, Runaan could feel his face heat up. “I have no Idea what you are talking about.” She only laughed and clapped him on the back “Yes, you do. You need to get laid.” In that moment, he was sure his entire skin resembled a tomato. “Lujanne!” he exclaimed but the older woman was already inside her car. The engineer contemplated not going just to proove a point but quickly decided against it. She could think whatever she liked.

The Fair was just like he remembered. Filled with people dressed in various styles of different eras and lined with stands selling crafts and food. He was glad how well he blended in despite his slightly eccentric outfit. Especially the hair. But he'd always been a bit particular about it, keeping it that long and all. Here at least nobody judged. He'd even applied some coal and eyeliner around his eyes for good measure. The Market was fairly large, and it took Runaan a considerable amount of time until he found his employees tent. He may have also taken his time to get there, not entirely sure how Sol would react to his visit.

When he finally spotted a familiar figure repeatedly swinging a hammer down onto the anvil in front of him, his mouth went completely dry. The other was clad in nothing but dirty red linen pants and a leather apron, skin already glistering with sweat and streaks of ash from the fire. This was so much better than he'd imagined. He tracked the movement of Sol's muscles as the smith shaped the glinting metal in front of him with practiced ease and was subconsciously drawn closer.  More people were gathered around, watching the work and suddenly Runaan found himself standing among them. He kept to the back of the crowd until Sol had answered everyone's questions and announced a short lunch break before he'd continue the work. The engineer waited for the other people to leave before stepping closer.

* * *

 

Sol was currently stowing his tools and peeled his skin from the leather apron as he sensed movement behind him.  Maybe another visitor? He turned, only to stop dead in his tracks.  There, against the tent pole leaned Runaan. His boss was clad in the fashion of a rouge and had a sword at his side such as a bow and a quiver full of arrows slung across his back. He looked very much attractive; the long white hair done in a set of intricate braids. And was that eyeliner? For a second, he thought he imagined the whole scene but then, the other smirked “Hey, I hope you don't mind me dropping by. It's been far too long since my last fair.” His brain was still adjusting to the unusual sight as he looked around for a shirt. “Ah, n-no not at all.” Sol desperately tried to focus on Runaan's face and not the way most of his admittedly very defined chest was exposed by the outfit he wore. “I can show you around if you like.” The engineer smiled and nodded “Sure, if you don't mind.” when one of the girls from the food stand across the path came running by. “Hey Tink, have you finished the clasp, yet?” he'd known her for a few years since her family often came to the same Fairs. “Ah, Mina yes just a moment.” He turned to get it as her attention fell on the tall stranger standing by the tent. “Hi, who are you? I haven't seen you around before.” Sol could hear the familiar sound of a smile in the melodic voice as he answered.  “My name is Runaan, pleased to make your acquaintance M'lady.” The white-haired man even performed a bow and kissed her hand. Mina giggled with delight at the curtesy and pointed at his long hair. “Did you bleach it?” count on that girl to always ask the strangest questions.  The other didn't seem bothered by it though and gave her a smile.  “No, it's a gene defect. It's always been this way.” She gasped in awe, pulling Sol's sleeve. “It's really pretty don't you think?” he nodded in agreement “Yeah it is. Here is your clasp.” The girl ran her hand over the simple Celtic design before jumping up and throwing her arms around his neck for a hug. “It's beautiful. Thank you, Tink.” He laughed at her enthusiasm and gently ruffled her hair once she was back on the ground. “Your welcome.”

Her gaze flicked between them a few times before she turned to Runaan again. “How do you know each other?”

“He's my boss.” Sol supplied as a warning for her to stop prodding.  He might have told her of his crush the evening bevore after a little bit too much of her self-made honey mead. Mina, thank the stars, immediately understood and threw him a knowing glance before turning to leave. “Have fun then and see you around!” she was gone as fast as she'd appeared in the first place. “So Tink, huh?” Runaan grinned at his involuntary groan, still leaning against the pole. “It's, um, it's kind of my nickname? People started calling me Tinker after I fixed some of their things and it kind of got stuck.” The other simply smiled in response “I like it. Suits you.” It caused a warm feeling to spread in his stomach, replacing the nervousness he'd felt before. “Thanks. Come on, I know where we can get the best smoked meat sandwiches.” The mention of food got his boss to perk up and he had to laugh at the eager reaction. “Did they let you off the seasons meal plan, yet?” the next race wasn't for another four months after all. “Yes, and I intend to use that to my advantage while I still can.” Sol found his enthusiasm towards any kind of food adorable. At the same time, he felt sorry his job didn't allow him to exploit that particular interest.

True to his word, the sandwiches, which were actually a loaf of freshly baked bread filled with beef and bbq sauce, were fantastic and he had to smile seeing the heart-eyes Runaan made at his food after the first bite. “Oh my god-“ he mumbled “-what kind of drug did they put in here?” that made even the woman behind the stand laugh “Glad you enjoy it so much, lad.” Apparently unaware that he'd voiced his thoughts out loud, the engineer turned a shade pinker and hid behind the bread in his hands. “Don't mind him, he's still recovering from a diet.” Sol pulled him along to a few trees where they could sit down in the shade, the woman's hearty laughter following them.  After finishing their lunch, he showed Runaan his favourite places of the Fair before returning to his tent to continue working. His boss wandered off after a couple minutes to find a few targets to shoot and he was glad for the chance to order his thoughts. 

Until now, his crush had been securely contained but the object of said crush suddenly turning up dressed like a mix between fighter and sex god didn't help his situation at all. There weren't any people around, most of them eating, and he wasn't sure if he'd been able to deal with any should some show up. Mina came around as soon as she realized he was alone again. “You chose a hot one.” The girl stated as she hopped onto the work table, dangling her legs. “I know” it sounded a lot more whining than he cared to admit. “I think he likes you, too.” That got his attention “Really?” she nodded, expression sincere. “I saw him staring at you when he arrived. And nobody dresses like that if they don't want to impress someone, knowingly or not.” Her words sparked some hope in his heart. Maybe he could carefully test the waters? Drop a few unsuspicious hints? Mina seemed to read his silence correctly because she hopped down again, encouragingly clapping his arm. “Go get him, tiger.” And she was gone again. Sometimes he wasn't sure if he only imagined her presence.

He busied himself with work when a familiar figure approached his tent. “Garret, I really don't want to talk to you.” His ex was the last person he wanted to see today. “Come on, I just want to say hi.” He sighed and turned towards the broad-shouldered man in chainmail. “Please leave. I've told you we're through.” Sol turned back to the anvil then, continuing his work, determined to ignore the other's presence. His ex however had different plans and rounded the workspace to stand in front of him. “Give me another chance, Tink. I told you I'm sorry.” How dared he? Anger flared up in his chest and he shoved the glinting iron in the other's face, forcing him to take a few steps back. “You cheated on me, repeatedly. I will warn you one last time, don't come near me again.” He could see the familiar fury rise in Garrets eyes and prepared for a fight when another figure stepped up besides him, flanking his right side. “Is there a problem?” Runaan looked calm enough but held his hand on the pommel of the sword strapped to his side, ready to draw. “That's none of your business.” Garret’s voice was now filled with venom and he stepped closer again. “We have some private business to conduct here.” In that moment, Sol wondered once more why he'd ever bared with the guy in the first place. “No, we don't. Garret, leave.” He underlined the statement with a pointed look at the tent flap but apparently the other didn't receive the message and took a step forward instead.

To his surprise, Sol was suddenly faced with a face full of white hair as his boss stepped between them, seizing the other up as if to determine whether he'd be able to win a fight. “It is my business when someone threatens my employees. Especially if said employee is the best mechanic we've ever had. Please leave.” His voice was calm and commanding, but he could hear the faint note of a threat swinging with it. Still amazed that Runaan would stand up for him even though he didn't know what for, he reacted too late as his Ex lashed out. The punch was poorly aimed and collided heavily with the long-haired's crossed forearms. His boss however didn't budge an inch but also made no move for a counter attack. He simply stood his ground, staring the larger man down. “I will ask you one last time to leave Sol alone.” This time, he could hear barley concealed anger welling off of him. Garret took another step closer, so he could stare down on both of them. “You want to fight for the little shit? Fine. Let's take this outside.” This time, Runaan laughed “Oh, I'm sure he could easily fight for himself but if you insist.” Before storming off, his ex turned one last time. “At the show fight pit in ten minutes, don't pussy out.”

Once he was gone Sol shook the other's shoulders violently “That's a really bad idea. He's pretty good at the fighting. Please don't do that.” Runaan simply smirked, stilling the hands on his arms “I'll be fine. Don't worry. What's his problem with you anyways?” a deep sigh escaped his lips. He'd tried to avoid them meeting. “He's my Ex. He cheated on me, I left him about a year ago. I don't know what I saw in him in the first place to be honest.” The white-haired man winced in sympathy. “From my limited experience with this person I would guess you're better off without him.” Sol had to laugh “Yeah, you don't say.” But the thought of them fighting had him immediately back in an anxious mood. “You know, I meant it. You shouldn't fight him. I don't want you to get hurt on my account.” After a moment, he realized how that had sounded and quickly added “Besides Lujanne would have my head if I bring you back with a broken arm.”

However, Runaan was having none of it. “I appreciate your concern, but I am going to be fine. I will face Janne's wrath afterwards.” Tink sighed, he knew that face. It was the same one he made when insisting to try some reckless stunt on the track and meant his mind was set on it. “Don't you dare complain about a broken bone afterwards. I warned you.” Though he knew should his boss really get injured he would probably never be able to forgive himself.

When they arrived at the show fight pit, Garret was already waiting there with a few of his friends, now without the chainmail. At least he had the decency to not fight in full armour against someone clad in linen. Runaan took off the quiver and handed it to him together with the black recurve bow. “Watch over Luna, will you?” Of course, he would have named the bow. Sol shook his head a little in amusement and also took the leather vest, tucking the things under his arm. “Wait!” he exclaimed before his boss could enter the pit. He pulled him back and whispered “He's got a weak defence on his lower right and his left ankle gives out under too much pressure.” With a smirk, the other nodded. “Thanks”

As soon as he’d jumped the fence of the pit Mina appeared at Sol's side slightly panicked. “Please tell me it's not what I think it is? Garret has been telling everyone he'd be wiping the floor with your new boyfriend.” He massaged his temples with one hand, grimacing “Sadly it is.” She paled a little “Should I alert the medics?” it would probably be the best idea but he shook his head, determined to put at least a little trust in his boss. “No, not yet, I want to see how it goes first. Maybe it will be fine.” Mina scoffed “Yeah sure. Garret's got at least eighty pounds on him.” But she obediently stayed by his side, snuggling a bit closer as the pair in the pit began to circle each other. A little crowd of visitors and vendors alike had gathered, sensing this wouldn't be a regular show-fight.

Garret struck first but his opponent evaded the blow without even blocking it, sword cutting trough the air uselessly. Furious at the miss, the larger man attacked again, missing another time. They repeated the charade a few times until Garret was fuming. “Stay still you coward!” his boss chuckled but kept his distance, continuing to dance around the other. Somehow Sol was not surprised. The bastard sword in his hands looked used and had probably seen his fair share of fights. A little weight lifted off of him seeing Runaan wasn't already lying face down in the dirt as he’d expected.

A minute or two passed until the white-haired man decided he'd evaded enough and started to actually fight. His style was different than what he'd seen before, more fluent. “Finally decided to fight me?” Garret huffed out between two breaths and suddenly Sol understood what the other had been doing. Tiring his opponent out was smart. Especially when the other had the strength advantage. They clashed swords repeatedly and even though both of them used dulled blades, he could imagine the pain they'd cause should they actually hit one another. Meanwhile, a larger crowd had gathered around them, seemingly interested in the fight. “He's actually pretty good.” Mina whispered beside him, pulling the mechanic out of his daydreams. “Yeah, I still worry.” She scooted a little closer squeezing his shoulder. It turned out he worried rightfully when Garret managed to get hold of his opponents neck somehow. He didn't see how exactly it happened but Runaan must have not been fast enough for once. Sol could see the realization on his boss' face as the pommel of Garret's sword neared his face and caught him right across the forehead. Unable to evade it, he just managed to stop some of the force with his free left hand. When the bigger man let go of his neck and pushed him to the floor, he dropped to his knees and Sol was just short of jumping the fence and running towards him if Mina hadn't grabbed his hand. “Wait.” In front of them Runaan looked up to meet Sol's eyes before flicking his gaze further up at Garret with a grin. He wiped away the blood running down his nose and slowly stood up while his opponent came walking towards him, twirling the sword in his right hand. “Haven't you had enough?” his ex also dropped back into a fighting stance. “I'm still standing, aren’t I?” the question was delivered with a surprisingly fast attack. Apparently Runaan had decided it was time to go into the offensive. The fight was more intense this time, people even started cheering like in a pub brawl. This time, the engineer clearly kept the upper hand. He moved faster, putting his whole Energy in speed, and made sure to stay out of the other's reach when he wasn't attacking. Somehow it even increased Sol's anxiety. By now, both of the fighters were covered in new bruises and scrapes but neither seemed inclined to yield. He quickly noticed that Runaan always hit with the flat side of his sword, decreasing the amount of damage he dealt. Still, he managed to get Garret on his back three times in a row, always giving him time to get up again. Evidentially both were keen to stick to the rules in that perspective. “Yield already!” the larger man huffed, starting a new attack that only found air. “Oh, please after you.” Even though also breathing heavily by now, his boss seemed more energetic. He'd remind him of that the next time he complained about cardio, Tink thought, a small smile creeping on his face. It took another ten minutes until he'd worn Garret down enough to disarm him every time he tried to attack. After four futile attempts, the other gave in and held up his hands. “Fine, you win.” He spat, leaving the field “Have fun with that looser.”

It turned out that had been the wrong thing to say because Runaan was by his side in an instant, swiping his legs and pushing the larger man to the ground with his knee on the other's chest. “If I see you bothering him again, I will find you and then you'd wish you'd broken both my arms when you had the chance.” It was quiet enough for only Garret to hear but the anger in his eyes reached Sol before he let go of him again, turning to walk away.

Tink wondered what he'd said to the other, but he doubted it was something pleasant. The crowd created a path for the white-haired man as he vaulted over the fence, making his way towards Sol and Mina. The girl disappeared again with the promise to find some water and a few tissues for his face and left the pair to themselves. “You are hurt.” The mechanic tried his best to sound displeased even though he was glad of the relatively good outcome of the fight. Runaan's grin was tinted a light red that indicated he'd probably also bit his tongue during the exchange. “I’m fine it's just a little blood.” He shook his head, grabbing the other's arm to lead him back to his tent. “A little blood my ass. I’m pretty sure you are also concussed.” His boss chuckled but let himself being led away without struggle. “Calm down, you are worse than Lujanne.” Sol huffed “And you are reckless as hell. But then, we already knew that.” He grumbled searching through his stuff for a clean towel. Thankfully Mina appeared soon enough with a bowl of water and a washcloth, handing them to Tink. He pointed to a chair “Sit” Runaan obeyed and watched him wet the cloth, not twitching away when he moved to dab it at his nose. “Do you think it's broken?” he asked, eyeing the blood that was still trickling down his face suspiciously. The engineer shook his head slightly “No, that feels differently.”

Sol stopped “How do you-“ but then shook his head “You know what? Never mind.” The other raised a shaped white eyebrow but chose to remain silent in favour of the cloth dabbing away the blood on his face.

Runaan had to look away from his employees concentrated expression when the urge to just grab and kiss him got too strong. After all, he still didn't know whether he was interested or not and there was no way he would jeopardize their friendship for that. At Sol's insistence, he stayed by the forge, perched on an unused spot of the worktable with his legs drawn up. “There is no way I let you get out there again when Garret and his friends are still there.” He didn't object as it gave him the opportunity to drink in the sight of a very hot smith working shirtless on the forge.

For hours.

Mina came around occasionally to see if they were both still okay and every once in a while, a visitor would either ask or buy something. But otherwise they were alone. Sometimes, Tink would explain what he was doing, and he’d ask questions about either technique or functionality of the finished products. It was a nice change from work and Runaan enjoyed being the one without any knowledge, eager to learn what fascinated the other in the work he was doing.

Eventually, dawn neared and soon, the fire was the only thing lighting up the tent as the sun slowly set between the trees. “The people working at the camp usually gather around the fires in the yard once the visitors have left, would you like to come with?” Sol suddenly asked “If, um, if you don’t have to be anywhere that is.” He checked his phone but besides two messages from Lujanne asking if he’d scored the mechanic, yet there was nothing of importance, so he shook his head. “No, they will survive a day without me, I think. I would love to come.” A warm feeling spread in his chest at the beaming smile Sol regarded him with in response. “Great, let me just get the forge down to a safe temperature.” He watched him close some of the air vents until the fire died down to a soft glint.

When they arrived in the yard, dozes of little fires were already burning and almost the whole staff had gathered around to enjoy the evening. Runaan recognized the people he’d shot a few targets with earlier and walked over when the smith excused himself to get something to drink for them. “Hey man are you okay? We saw the fight earlier. Garret is such a dick I’m glad he already left.” One of them greeted. “Yeah, I’m fine. Though I would prefer to let that stay a one-time experience. I’ve had more fun fights.” The other two nodded solemnly “He deserved it. Especially after the shit he pulled with our favourite smith last year it was bold of him to turn up here again.” Runaan furrowed his brows “It’s not really my place to ask but what happened? Sol seemed pretty upset.” the girl on his right shook her head “Nah, it’s really no secret around here. That Dickhead cheated on Tink with two guys at the same time. I mean that’s just shitty. And he wouldn’t leave him alone when he ended things. We even had to throw him out of the camp.” Multiple grim nods in their immediate surrounding confirmed her statement.

“Now I kind of wish I hit him harder.” Runaan mumbled, still angry at the guy he hardly knew. How dared he do that to such a nice person? Someone patted his back and the group erupted in laughter. “Trust me you bruised his ego enough. How long have you two been together?” every drop of blood in his body immediately froze. “How long have we- What?” he repeated, choking on the words tumbling out of his mouth. The girl who’d spoken earlier looked confused. “We thought you were an item. Aren’t you?” He shook his head frantically, a violent blush spreading up until it even covered his ears. “N-no. We, um, we work together. I’m kind of his boss?” At the mention of work, the group exchanged knowing glances. “So, you are the mysterious employer of the mysterious job he isn’t allowed to talk about? What do you even work as? All we know is that he’s a mechanic.” She prodded, asking what everyone wanted to know. He hesitated for a moment but eventually decided it would do no harm if a group of Re-enactors knew his face. “I’m a MotoGP racer. Sol is my first and only mechanic. He also helps me in development for my company. I’m an engineer when I don’t race.” They all stared at him for a second seemingly trying to connect the slightly dirty guy in sweat-stained linen clothes to one of the famous racers. “Wait!” one of them said “Your name was Runaan right?” he nodded “So you’re the owner of Moonshadow Inc? And built the fastest bike on the track at the moment?”

Great, why would one of the medieval nerds be interested in racing? “Yes, why?” he already prepared himself for a series of questions, but the guy only shrugged. “I would have pictured you older.” Relief washed over him, being spared the unwanted attention. “Thanks?” The conversation steered back to Archery after that and he was glad about the change of topic that allowed him to regain some of his composure before Sol returned, handing him a cup of steaming honey mead.

He let himself get pulled away by the short haired man and they sat down with Mina by one of the fires. The group exchanged stories of past Fairs and Runaan was contend listening to all of them. It made him happy to see Sol talk so feely with the other Re-enactors and how well everybody seemed to like the smith.

When nobody forced him to interact, big groups of people weren’t that bad. He found the men and women around him to be exceptional easy company in comparison to the high society snobs he usually had to deal with. It reminded him of his old Re-enactment club during college. Runaan was pulled from his musings as Sol tapped his shoulder and offered him a glazed apple. Apparently, his expression must have been really funny since multiple people in his immediate surrounding laughed as he took the precious treat. The smith only smiled at him and shushed the rest with a chuckle “Don’t be mean. He usually isn’t allowed to eat sweets.” They all fell silent with expressions of sympathy and then continued their previous conversations. Runaan really admired the acceptance among the group even though they hardly even knew him. “I’m pretty sure you earned that after the fight you delivered earlier.” Sol bit into a glazed apple himself and motioned for him to do the same. “Go on, they are really good.” A little reluctantly, the engineer took the first bite and was immediately in food heaven. The sweetness of the sugar worked well with the general sour taste of the fruit. “Oh my god.” He exclaimed “I forgot how they taste like.” The other smiled at the expression of pure glee. “Careful Tink, you might break him.” Someone shouted but Runaan couldn’t find himself bothered by it. He was glad to finally be able to meet Sol’s friends but also a little sad that he couldn’t offer him the same.

The night went on and soon everybody was positively tipsy. Some people even started to sing and dance around one of the bigger fires. He surveyed the scene when someone suddenly brushed his back. Turning around, he found Sol’s gaze who had wrapped a thick wool blanket around both their shoulders, his face slightly flushed from the alcohol. It had turned cold somewhere during the last hour and Runaan realized just now that he was shivering. “Thank you.” He smiled and scooted a little closer, surprised by the other’s radiant body heat. The smith simply shrugged but returned his smile “You seemed cold.” He nodded, drawing the tip of the blanket up in front of him. “How come you aren’t?” another shrug “I guess my internal heating system works a little too well?” he hummed in agreement, contend in the pocket of warmth created around them.

Even though Runaan greatly enjoyed the company he was in, it got too much at some point. Too many different snippets of conversation found their way into his brain and it grew harder to blend them out. “I’m going to take a walk.” He informed Sol before stealthily distancing himself from the group of people. The clear night air calmed him immediately and he wandered the camp until he found a nice place under a tree to sit. Far enough from the other’s to be quiet and largely shielded from view. Runaan leaned his head back against the tree trunk, admiring the stars that appeared in the night sky. He wasn’t sure how long he’d sat there but after a while he heard soft footsteps coming closer. Sol sat down next to him, wrapping them once again in the blanket he’d brought. He’d started to shiver again. “Sorry I ditched you. I’m not good with many people.” He tried to explain but the excuse sounded hollow in his ears. The mechanic regarded him with a warm smile nevertheless “It’s okay. They can be a bit much.” That was not what he’d meant to say. “N-no, they are great, really. I just struggle when I’m around too many unfamiliar people for a long time.” Now that he thought about it, Runaan found it pretty pathetic on his part. They had all been so nice and he still wasn’t able to stick around for longer than a few hours. “That’s fine. I’m glad you still decided to stay as long as you did. I think I haven’t thanked you yet for helping out with Garret.” The engineer shook his head “Don’t mention it. From what I heard he had it coming.” Tink nodded a little sadly “Yeah. However, thanks to you he will probably stay away for good this time.”

He offered a smile, subconsciously shuffling closer to the other “In that case, I’m glad I could be of service.” Their faces were awfully close now. So close that Runaan could see the stars reflected in Sol’s enticing eyes. His throat went dry as he instinctively bit his lip to keep himself from doing something he’d regret. There were little freckles on the other’s cheeks, partially covered by smears of coal and dirt. Some of the dark hair had fallen down, obstructing part of the view. He knew he was staring but couldn’t for the love of god pull his eyes away from the beautiful man in front of him. Green-gold orbs with barley dilated pupils stared back at him and when he flicked his gaze down to the smith’s lips, he found them slightly parted, a small puff of hot breath appearing in the cold air. Said air suddenly got trapped inside his lungs as his rapidly beating heart drowned out all other sound. Runaan licked his bottom lip, slowly closing the distance without his brain having any say in it. Sparks erupted behind his closed eyes when Sol met him halfway, reaching up cup his face carefully as if he was afraid to break him. The callouses on his hands gently scratched his cheek when he lightly pushed his head against the other’s hand.

Deepening the kiss and desperate to get closer to the object of his desire, the engineer sank his hand in-between the dark curls and pulled him forward until Sol was placed in his lap. Warm hands started to roam his chest, tracing the pattern of his tattoo. He grinned against Sol’s lips. Getting a hold of the hem of his shirt, he slipped his nimble fingers under it, caressing the soft warm skin underneath. “Mhmn” the smith seemed to agree with his plan and wiggled a little closer, burying his face in Runaan’s neck and let butterfly kisses trail along his collarbone and up again to claim his mouth.

Every bit of doubt was erased from his mind as he struggled to get as close as humanly possible to Tink. By now, their chests were touching, and the dark-haired man had his knees placed on either side of him so he was straddling his hips, hands still roaming over the skin exposed by the front of his shirt. Eventually, they had to break apart to breathe, both of them panting slightly from the unexpected outcome of this evening. “Tent?” Sol asked, struggling to his feet. “Oh god, yes.” His own voice a low growl, Runaan let himself being pulled up by the other and together they raced through the campsite, keen to avoid anyone else. As soon as the dark red tent came into view, he felt the mechanic quickening his pace, grabbing his hand to drag him along. Once inside, Sol fumbled with a few knots which held up one of the side panels, hands trembling. When he finally managed to get them to fall down, only the soft red of the fire illuminated the inside of the tent, tinting the other’s hair a flaming orange.

Slowly, tentatively, Runaan stepped up in his personal space, giving him plenty of time to change his mind before hoisting him up in his arms. “Are you sure?” it sounded uncertain, voice a low rumble heavy with emotion. He nodded “Mmmhm” their second kiss was soft and caring while the engineer carried him over to the mattress and heap of blankets he’d placed in a secluded part of the tent. Runaan carefully set him down, supporting his own weight with hands braced on either side of his head. The white hair was tousled by now, some strands falling out of the braids and into Sol’s face. In that moment, he swore he’d never seen anyone as beautiful. Dark turquoise eyes sparkled above him, scanning his every move with dilated pupils. “God, you are perfect.” The other murmured, leaning down for another kiss. Instinctively, Tink wrapped his hands around his neck and forced Runaan down on his forearms, closing the distance between their bodies. The taller man let out a soft yelp at the sudden loss of balance but caught himself quickly enough without crushing him. “Sorry” he whispered against his lips, drawing a chuckle out that vibrated through both their bodies.

“Don’t apologize.” It was something Runaan thought Sol did too often. “You should never apologize.”  On a relatively clear moment, he turned and reached over to the tracker on his wrist, activating the pre-installed private mode.

“Aren’t you gonna take it off?” Tink cringed a little at the thought of someone getting hold of that data. “No way, do you know how many calories I intend to burn?” he couldn’t supress the full out laughter that bubbled up his throat at the sincere tone. “Don’t worry it doesn’t transmit anything this way.” Runaan breathed into his ear, gently nipping at his earlobe in the process. Sol had to bite down on his fist to stifle an involuntary groan. They were in a tent after all and tents had zero to none soundproofing. “Y-you are, Hnhhggnn, you are crazy.” He managed, reaching out pull the other further down to return the favour. “So, Aaaah, so I’ve been t-told.”  

 

* * *

 

Something bright shone into his eyes, uncomfortable even through the closed eyelids. Runaan moved his hand to block it, blinking slowly until his eyes adjusted to the light. He was in a tent. Pushing himself up, the engineer let his gaze wander around the space and shivered a little at the cold air tickling his skin. Looking down at himself, he came to another realisation. He was naked.

He was in a tent and naked.

Suddenly, the events from last night came flooding back into his memory. The fight, the fire, the kiss- the kiss.... “Shit” he breathed, running a shaky hand through the remnants of his once braided hair. How could he have done that? Runaan prayed his actions hadn't cost him their friendship. Sol wasn't here after all and that was a bad sign in his experience. Manly because he was usually the one to leave and knew exactly what that meant. A glance on his tracker made him stop again. 11:23am. How long had he been sleeping? He tapped away on the little screen, pulling up the chart displaying his sleep time. Seven hours? He never managed to sleep that much in a row, much less undisturbed by insomnia.

Just now he realized that there were people moving about outside, their chatter seeping through the thick tent cloth. The back of the tent he was currently occupying was secluded from the rest by a curtain, effectively blocking his sight on the outside world and vice versa. Grateful for at least a little bit of privacy in his flustered state, Runaan slowly stood up to collect his clothing.  He found his pants and underwear easily enough, them being the closest items to the mattress on the floor. The engineer felt immediately better after pulling them on, now at least able to preserve his modesty should someone enter.  After a few minutes of rummaging, he also produced one of his boots and the sword belt Sol had been so eager to get off of him last night. He pushed the memory back when he felt warmth pooling in his stomach area, still able to recall the feeling of the others fingers on his hips and- ‘No' he scolded himself.  That was not the kind of thought he needed right now. 

Despite turning over every item in his surrounding, Runaan wasn't able to find his shirt nor the missing second boot. With a sigh, he used the little mirror fastened to one of the tent poles to at least fix his white hair from ‘I just had sex' to ‘It's meant to be this way'.

The engineer soon realized he would have to leave the tent eventually and if only to find his missing clothes. Barefoot, he tapped over to the curtain and carefully peeked through it. Sol was talking to three elderly women but otherwise the coast seemed clear. Spotting his belt pouch that most likely contained his phone and some cigarettes- god did he want one right now- he sneaked outside to get it. A cab would be his saving grace.

However, one of the Ladies made his plan disappear into thin air when she gasped and pointed at him. “Sir, there is a man in your tent.” Shit, so much for making a quiet escape. Sol was surprisingly unfazed and didn't even turn around. “Ah, yes that's Runaan. Runaan, say hi to these lovely ladies.” His voice was warm, affectionate and completely caught the engineer off guard. “Uh, um Hi?” he tried, wincing at the gravelly sound. The trio returned the greeting reluctantly, still suspicious of his presence.

Sol chose that moment to grab a cup that was placed near the fire to keep it warm and walk up to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips as he pushed it into Runaan's hands. “Good morning sleepy head, I got you some coffee.” Both himself and the three ladies seemed equally shocked by the gesture. He opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut again. Busying himself with the coffee instead. What did just happen? The smith returned to tend to his customers, leaving his Boss? Lover? Boyfriend? alone again. Just then, Mina spotted him from across the path and waved enthusiastically. Without even realizing he tentatively waved back, still certain to be caught in a dream.

He needed a smoke. Now. Placing the empty coffee cup on the worktable, he reached for his pouch with trembling hands and pulled out the box of cigarettes. Runaan lighted one on the glowing embers and leaned back against the table, taking a long, deep pull. It needed longer than usual for the calming effect to set in and he was already lighting the second one on the glinting stub of the first when the trio finished their purchase. They smiled as Sol bid them goodbye and one of them even waved at him. The engineer raised his hand in acknowledgement still bewildered by the surreal calm. Nobody was kicking him out. That was a first.

“Hey, are you okay?” the smith suddenly appeared in front of him, grimacing as the smoke reached his nose. He turned to the side to not blow it directly into Sol’s face “Um, yeah, I'm fine.” The frown on the other’s face only deepened. “You look troubled and-“ he pointed at the now third cigarette between his fingers “-you stress smoke.” Runaan sighed, keeping it perched on his lips despite the disapproving look it earned him. “I expected you to kick me out.” Bewilderment flickered over Sol's beautiful face “Why would I do that?” he shrugged, drawing almost the whole cigarette in one to gain some courage. “I don't know? Maybe you would’ve regretted last night?” the confusion in the other's eyes only intensified. “Why would I regret it? Do you?” Runaan found that he did, in fact, not regret a thing. Also a first. “N-no.” He stuttered, letting go of the cigarette butt as it burned his hand. He subconsciously reached for the pack to get another one, but Sol was faster. “I will be taking these.” He announced despite his involuntary whine. “So why would you think I'd regret it.” The smith was awfully close now, close enough to smell the distinct note of fire on his skin. “I, um. You, well, you weren't there when I woke up and I thought-I thought you might’ve ditched me and-“ he didn't get any further because suddenly, their lips were clashing and Sol chased the taste of nicotine off his tongue with coffee and something distinctively him. “I would never just ditch you.” The other said after pulling away again. Runaan swallowed “So, we're good?” he dared to ask tentatively. A nod in confirmation lifted a boulder the size of this entire state off his heart. “Of course, we are. As long as you still want this?” he nodded immediately, blurting out a “Yes!” before he could even think about it.

Sol beamed in return “Great! I will get us something to eat.” and dashed out of the tent. His mind was still working in overdrive as he watched his boyfriend? was that what they were now? disappear between the tents. Subconciously, Runaan reached for his lighter but remembered the other had taken his cigarettes with him. Damn it. Instead, he toyed with the lighter, flicking it on and off again a couple of times until the little movement wasn’t enough anymore to sate his urge to run. Strangely enough he didn’t feel like running away because he didn’t want Sol. On the contrary, should the mechanic ask him to jump off a bridge he was sure he’d do it in an instant. It was more the fact that his experience in relationships that lasted more than a few weeks bordered on non-existent which kept him agitated. Runaan was afraid he’d fuck it up, just like he had before. Now pacing in the small space, his mind supplied an overwhelming number of scenarios that all led to him somehow unintentionally hurting Sol. Why were human interactions so complicated? Just then, his eyes found a small metal pendant lying on the workbench. Upon closer inspection, he recognized the crescent Logo of his company. It was beautiful really. When he lifted it to inspect the intricate work further, a little note fluttered away that had been tucked under it. Runaan caught it before it could fly into the forge and set it on the table again. ‘For Runaan’ the letters were written in Sol’s neat handwriting, black ink crisp against the parchment. He’d recognize that font everywhere. A smile crept onto his face as he turned the pendant in his hands. He’d try his best to keep the mechanic and maybe that would be enough. He was a quick learner after all.

Waiting on Tink’s return, he busied himself with observing the passing people and noticed that the members of his Re-enactment group all smiled when they saw him. He waved and smiled back.

Maybe this wasn't so bad.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a comment/Kudo if you enjoyed it! I'm also taking prompts/requests for this AU so feel free to write them in the comments or message me on tumblr under Rumowrites!


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